Commercial buildings, highways, parks, and other spaces are increasingly being fit with energy efficient light fixtures (e.g., light emitting diode (LED)-based light fixtures). With light fixtures powered and controlled via a communication network, it is possible to provide building tenants, maintenance workers, and even visitors control over the light emitted in their space. It is often desirable for control operations in networks of these light fixtures to have predictable timing relationships. If standard Internet techniques are used to generate, transport and receive the control messages to all fixtures, the timing may not be predictable, and certain lighting effects may not react in desirable ways.